Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Sons of Anarchy: Toil and Till, S7E2

Jax should listen to August Marks.

“Clarity settles all scores, pays back all debts,” Marks told Jax early in this week’s episode of Sons of Anarchy. Marks said one of the greatest lessons Damon Pope ever taught him was to have patience. “If your emotions say ‘now,’ your head’s gotta say ‘later.’”

Of course, Jax didn’t listen. Yes, it was too late for him to take the advice completely, but if he’d taken it when it was offered, Jury would have been saved some incredible pain, and the MC wouldn’t (likely) be facing heat from its own charters.

Jax laid out his plan to Jury, and it’s the first we’ve heard of it too. It’s vicious. It’s complete retribution—ill-placed retribution, but Jax doesn’t know that—but it’s forged somewhere south of hell. I believe the devil himself is tipping his hat to Jax, and that is so not what I wanted for this season.

What surprised me most, especially in this episode, was everyone’s willingness to follow Jax. Chibs and Bobby were so proud of him at the end of the last season for his efforts to make the club legitimate. When they had their big multi-charter meeting, those men were on board with the “escort” and the porn business too. They signed off on getting out of guns, of ditching the heat from the cops. And Jury was one of Jax’s biggest supporters.

But now, everybody is just following the prince. I understand they’re supporting a brother—their president—whose wife was murdered. I understand they bought Gemma’s story hook, line, and sinker, and that they believe targeting and punishing the Chinese is payback for Tara. But, as Jury pointed out, Jax’s ultimate plan is huge and horrible and could bring chaos and damage to all the charters. And still they follow.

I couldn’t believe it when Jax, Chibs, and Bobby walked into Renny and Gib’s place, cool as could be, and then just blew them away. I understood what they were doing as soon as Chibs pulled out the heroin, but those two stupid guys were innocent (in the world they live in), and they’d just helped the Sons out with the attack on the Chinese. Jax doesn’t care who dies. Jax doesn’t care about killing innocent people as long as it furthers his vengeful plot. And evidently, Chibs and Bobby don’t care either.

Where are the questions these two men would have asked Jax last season? Is Jax True North for these guys? Are they unable to swing away from him, to get out of his pull? How far are they willing to go? There are no rules anymore. None at all. And it’s already blowing back on them.

We can guess that, by the way Jury was cradling Renny and crying, Renny wasn’t just “the muscle” to Jury. I’m guessing he was his son. There was too much pain in Jury’s eyes for it to be other than that. And he knows … he saw the sawed-off shotgun that he had personally loaded into the Sons’ van after the fight with the Chinese. He knows SAMCRO killed Renny and Gib. He knows they set those boys up. I have a feeling that Indian Hills won’t be on board with any more of Redwood’s plans, but will Jury seek his own vengeance now? What kind of snowball did Jax start rolling?

The other sticky wicket we have is Wayne. I was so relieved when Juice let him go, and I was so not surprised that Juice didn’t leave town as Gemma told him to do. Juice never does what he should do. Ever. What was he going to say to Chibs when called? What will he say to him when the two sit down next week (as the teaser for next week showed us they do)?

But back to Wayne. When Gemma found the file in his camper, I was truly afraid she was going to kill him then and there. Just smother him or something and let everyone assume the cancer finally won.

“It’s a good thing, you putting friendship over club rule. I know that choice didn’t come easy,” Wayne said to Gemma when he confronted her about Juice staying at Wendy’s. “Let me know if I can do anything to help,” he offered. “I’m tired of counting bodies too.”

Wayne has no inkling that Gemma is responsible for Tara’s death, but he’s going to be helping the sheriff’s department with Tara’s murder investigation, and he’s smart enough, and connected enough, he’ll likely be the one who figures it out. So when he does, what will he do? Will he confront Gemma? Will he tell Jax? Will he tell the sheriff? Or will Gemma kill him before he gets a chance to do or say anything? You know she will if she gets the chance.

“Are you OK, Grandma?” Abel asked Gemma when she got teary-eyed after talking to him about Tara.

“Always,” she responded, kissing the top of his head. “Always.”


Sons of Anarchy airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST on FX. It’s getting bloodier and bloodier.

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